Erfurt Cathedral, Erfurt, Germany

Erfurt Cathedral, dedicated to St. Mary, is a late Gothic cathedral which replaced the church built on this site for Bishop Boniface in 742. Martin Luther was ordained in the cathedral in 1507.

The architecture of the Erfurt Cathedral is mainly Gothic and stems from around the 14th and 15th centuries. There are many things of note as far as the architecture is concerned, not least the stained glass windows and furnishings of the interior of the cathedral. The central spire of the three towers that sit aloft the cathedral harbours the Maria Gloriosa which, at the time of its casting by Geert van Wou in 1497, was the world's largest free-swinging bell. It is the largest existing medieval bell in the world. It is known to have purity and beauty of tone.

The cathedral houses many rare and rich furnishings and sculptures, including the tomb of the bigamous Count von Gleichen, accompanied by both of his wives, a stucco altar, a bronze candelebra of Romanesque antiquity called Wolfram, the oldest free standing cast work in Germany, and, out on the porch, several statues of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Alice Oehninger (3 years ago)
Beautiful, peaceful. The central cathedral of Erfurt is a marvel of medieval architecture. It sits majestically atop a long flight of stairs, displaying fluted pillars and flanks. The interior is lovingly maintained, and the beautiful windows permit the main hall to be flooded with sunlight. Most impressive is the choir, which is crafted entirely of carved wood. First and foremost, this is a place of contemplation and meditation. A home to prayer. I'm told, it is also a place of life and celebration, a structure where people meet.

Muhammad sarosh Ali (3 years ago)
A magnificent architectural wonder in my opinion. You cannot help feel insignificant in the vicinity of this architectural behemoth. Right outside the entrance on the blackish stairs, you can find a stall to pit in coins and imprint on it the engraving and for the Cathedral. It will cost a euro, but you can have this as a souvenir. The church and the Cathedral are quite close to each other. The insides were a little too dimly lit but it's spectacular from the outside.

Martin Singer (4 years ago)
Very nice cathédrale and great architecture !

Stuart Berger (4 years ago)
Another cathedral. But it is an amazing gothic style cathedral. Worth a look.

Behrouz Safaei (5 years ago)
Loved it, big and beautiful

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Christian Lauw

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

Erfurt Cathedral

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche